Process of waterproofing straw hats and the like and product of the same



Patented Dec. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES CHARLES J'. KUNTZ, OF GLENDALE, NEW YORK, AND JOSEPH SIMONS, OF EAST ORANGE,

if AThli 't t' @Fli'ICE.

NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS OF WATERPROOFING STRA'W EATS AND THE LIKE AND PRODUCT OF THE SAME.

No Drawing.

T 0 all 1071 0m i may concern Be it known that we, CHARLES J. KUN'rz and JOSEPH SIMoNs, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Glendale, Long Island, county of Queens, State of New York, and East Orange, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Vihiterproofing Straw Hats and the like and Product of the Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel method of waterproofing body hats and straw hats, and the product of the same.

Pursuant to our invention, the material of body hats and of hats formed of sewed straw braid is coated with a minute film of nitrocellulose or equivalent material, which is impervious to and resistant toward rain and moisture and also with respect to dust, dirt and other forms of soiling, and which permits the hat to be washed with water or otherwise without substantially destroying the color or texture of the material, or the shape of the hat.

Pursuant to our invention, the body hat or straw hat is subjected to a spray of the coating material dissolved in a suitable vaporizing solvent and an adhesive medium and other ingredient of such nature whereby the particles of the spray are of most finely divided nature and the residue resulting from the evaporation upon deposit on the surface of the hat possesses the property of forming with the glue usually applied by dipping or otherwise to the surface of the hat and with the material of the hat an adhesive for binding the minute particles of nitrocellulose or equivalent to one another to form a substantially continuous coating and including the undulating surfaces of the straw or like material of the hat.

By such spraying procedure, the thickness of the coating is reduced to a film of such minute dimension that notwithstanding the slightly creamy color of the nitrocellulose or equivalent material per se, the residue resulting pursuant to our process is substantially clear and does not modify the desider tone of color of the straw or other material of the hat.

Our process may be carried out by means of any form of suitable spraying device,

Serial No. 372.

such as the so-callcd air-brush, which usually consists of a receptacle for containing the solution of the coating material, a pipe extending into the receptacle and provided with a suitable nozzle for the discharge of the spray, and piping connection with a source of compressed air leading into the interior of the receptacle for ejecting the spray and agitating the solution in the receptacle.

As an example of a coating mixture. we. employ nitrocellulose of any suitable form such as gun cotton. The gun cotton is dissolved in one gallon of amyl acetate, and preferably in the proportion of six ounces of gun cotton to one gallon of amyl acetate.

As a suitable ingredient for rendering the gun cotton or other form of nitrocellulose adhesive and to combine with the usual form of glue employed in the ordinary method of treating body hats and sewed straw braid hats and with the straw, we employ gum sandarach and gum elemi, each or both of which may be dissolved in the proportion of two pounds of the gum to one gallon of denatured alcohol.

The aforesaid ingredients are intermixed with one another preferably in the proportion of eight parts of the solution of gun cotton in amyl acetate to one and one half parts of the solution of sandarach in denatured alcohol to one-half part of the solution of gum elemi in denatured alcohol.

As a thinner, we prefer amyl acetate and fusel oil, which may be added in the pro portion of three parts of amyl acetate and one part of fusel oil to the mixture resulting from the aforesaid proportional mixture of gun cotton, gum sandarach and gum elemi.

The spraying is performed in any suitable manner, but preferably within a suitable enclosure and preferably maintained at a uniform temperature. The coating may be applied by sp 'aying first the upper surface of the hat, as by placing the hat or hats upon a suitable support and thereafter spraying the under surface of the brim of the hat. and, if desired, also the inner surfaces of the crown of the hat.

In lieu of nitrocellulose, acetyl cellulose 01' like wateru'esistant cellulose product or equivalent may be employed.

all

From our discoveries, e have observed that the deposited coating resulting fromthelispray lrmay' be readily controlled in thick "ne'ss'andto effectively cover the complete [undulatinglsurfaces of the straw orrstraw braid and including" the interstices. The

resulting residue at the instant of depositwvhi-le still embodying asniall content of the j solvent-wand of the thinner,' f0rn1s a combined 1 adhesive with the glue previously applied to the niaterial of the'ha't and securesa highly materialof the hat;

nessfori taekyl feeling to the hand and does not-gatherdust or dirt.

- our-invention, rain,- niist or'other atmos:

'efiective'adhesion with the straw or other EThe, resulting dried residue forins a pliable coating which inaintainsblts adhesion '"ivitli-the-straxv and does not peel or chipoii.

'lheai'esidue" is also free froin'any sticki- 1 the use of h-ats'produced pursuant to 'pheric moisture is readily shed by the coat- J i n'giandwyvithout causing discoloration or peeling oil of thecoating. lVhenever it is jjdesired to remove dust or otherdirt from i the hat,; the hatinaybe scoured with Water an-d'so'ap or-otherabltamif desired. The

shapexofthe'hat is also preserved when sub jectedtorainor Washing; V "Hatscoated pursuant to our invention flpossess'the same color andiappearance as hats bearingsolely the usual glue; Our in-' vention enables the hat to be washed toree move dirt or other soiling as often asinay be desired. a i

Our inventionis advantageous III applica- .tion 011 formed body hats and sewed straw braid hats and is also applicable ,to tl1estra1v and straw "braid and other matei'ial previous to the Weaving or shaping of the same desired by dipping the'niaterial oruiena 40 into the formed hat, and may be app'liedit oft-he fornied hat intoa bathcontaining'the aforesaid ingredients.

Whereas We have described our invention by reference to specific-forms thereof, lt' -will' be understood that many changes and inodifications may from the spirit-of the invention."

Vile claims 7 V l. A straw hat having. a Waterproof coat ing comprising:nitrocellulose and sandarachi gu1nformingwvith nitrocellulose a pliable solid adhesive With'the material of th'e'hat.

2. A straw hat havin-g a Waterproof coat 111g coniprlslng nitrocellulose and gum san-v darach and gum eleini.

In testimony whereof CHARLES J. ,LK'UNTZ. JOSEPH SIMONS,

We have signed this specification this 24th day of December 1924.

be made -u ithout' departing V 

